The Legend of Perseus: The Labors
by Anaklusmos14
Summary: The ancient world was a harsh and unforgiving place. Alone and without family, a child has almost no hope of survival. But the life of a demigod is almost always full of surprises. Unlikely friends and dangerous enemies often change destinies. With a little luck and the grace of the gods, what could have been ordinary can quickly become extraordinary.
1. Prologue

Ch. 1

An eerie silence had descended on the forest.

Only the light of the moon and stars illuminated the woods, their rays snaking between the branches and limbs and giving just the faintest trace of visibility on the forest floor which seemed devoid of life.

No creature moved and nothing stirred. Even the winds seemed to have gone silent as if the entire forest were holding its breath, waiting for something that had yet to arrive.

An outsider could only describe the scene as serene. It was as if the entire forest was a snapshot, a moment frozen in time that could not be disturbed.

_If only that were the case._

The serenity of the night was destroyed when a young boy, no older than twelve, burst through the trees, his torn and tattered sandals slapping the forest floor as he sprinted as if his very life depended on. His raven black hair was long and unkempt and his clothes, perhaps once a chiton and cloak, hung torn and tattered from his slender limbs as he tried to avoid the dense coppice and all its branches and obstacles threatening to slow him in his desperate attempt for escape.

In the distance behind him, a much louder thudding of footsteps could be heard. Branches snapped and the smaller trees were simply run over as a monstrous dark figure chased its prey. The sheer mass of the it moving through the forest nearly shook the trees down to their roots.

The boy weaved through the trees at speeds that seemed impossible. His endurance was starting to fail him though. Only adrenaline and the primal instinct of self-preservation kept him moving. He could feel the figure closing in on him. It's superior size allowing it to close the distance on him at an alarming rate. Only the dense foliage slowed it down and kept him alive though he knew he was already on borrowed time.

As he jumped over some underbrush, the boy's heart seemed to stop completely.

Ahead of him, maybe twenty yards away, the forest cleared for a stretch. He could faintly make out some source of light on the other side of the clearing.

_Not that he would ever be able to reach it._

He was at the end of his rope. Without the woods to slow the monstrous creature down, it would catch him within seconds. He couldn't change course either. On either side, the woods thickened to the point that not even his small form would be able to navigate them without running into something or tripping over the many branches, roots, and rocks on the forest floor.

Accepting whatever fate would befall him, he burst out of the tree line and made a mad dash towards the light. He couldn't even pick his head up to find the source of the illumination in the darkness, forced to keep his focus on putting one foot in front of the other in fear of stumbling and losing what slim chance of survival he had.

He hadn't even made it a quarter of the way through the clearing when he heard, or more like felt, his attacker hit the clearing, its monstrous paws pounding the ground in pursuit. Knowing he wouldn't make it even half way across, his pace slowed just enough to slide his hand into his belt line.

There he found the dagger his mother had given him.

The thought of his mother almost distracted him, though he knew better than to let himself get caught up in bitter memories. For all her struggles, the only worthwhile thing she had been able to give him was this one blade, an old and rusty bronze dagger that barely looked worthy of cleaning the bottom of a sandal, let alone for self-defense.

But she had been right. The blade was the only reason he was alive at that moment. The creatures, or better yet, the monsters that seemed to find him at increasing rates seemed almost afraid of the blade. The few that had been brave enough to attack him had ended up as a pile of dust when the blade broke their scaly skins.

He could still remember the snake woman who had looked beautiful at first and then tried to eat him a few weeks back.

But regardless of that successful encounter, he knew he had run out of luck. The little dagger probably couldn't break his pursuer's skin, let alone kill it.

Ignoring the hopelessness of his plight, he had no intention of just lying down and accepting his death. He would give this giant monster something to remember him by, other than the meager meal he guessed his frail form would provide.

Just as he felt its rancid hot breath on his neck, he made his move.

_Or… That was when he was planning to make his move._

Instead, he thought he ran into a solid wall of rock. His almost bounced off the sudden object in his path and into the jaws of the monster but instead hit it more to the side and was knocked off balance, stumbling the ground a few feet away. He quickly got back to his feet but froze at the sight before him.

A mountain of a man, not overly tall, but thick and muscular, with long blonde hair stood in the spot he had planned to make his move. His attacker seemed to have found a similar fate but judging by the way the man's hands were still outstretched, it appeared he'd shoved the monster rather than let it run into him.

Now that he was stopped, he finally got a look at his attacker. A hound with fur as dark as the night and eyes the color of blood was crouched a few feet away from the man. Though it towered over him, being a good foot taller and just as thick, the monster seemed wary. It barred its fangs at him and growled threateningly.

"Be gone minion of Hades!" The man roared, seemingly unintimidated by the monster's aggressive display.

After a short standoff, the monster seemed to realize that it was just one guy and lunged at him. The boy was sure this was the end of the hulking man but at the last second, he threw himself forward, driving a shoulder into the hounds exposed chest and bringing it the ground.

The giant hound tried the recover but the man must have had a grip like iron. He grabbed handfuls of fur and threw the creature to the ground a few feet away, hands full of the pulled out monster fur. He charged after it, jumping onto its back before it could make a retreat. He grabbed hold of its head and slipped an arm around its neck. The hound tried to buck but this just gave the man the leverage he needed. With a sickening twist of his arms, the oversized pooch's neck snapped and it fell limp to the ground. Within seconds, its body seemed to melt into shadows and vanish from underneath the mammoth of a man.

The boy wasn't sure what shocked him more; the dog melting into shadows or that the man just snapped its huge neck with only his hands.

With the beast finally out down, the man stood back up to get a look at the kid he had just saved.

"Blasted Hellhounds," he grunted. "They never give up once the latch on to a demigod's scent."

The boy took a couple steps back. While he was grateful for the save, he had no idea who this guy was or what he was talking about.

_Demigods? _

He quickly pushed that thought aside to focus on the man who could very well be an even more dangerous threat to him.

"Thank you m'lord." He said putting a little more distance between himself and his savior, ready to make a run for it again. To his surprise, the man just smiled.

"I'm not a lord boy. And you're welcome for that." He paused when he noticed the frightened look in the kid's face. "What's your name?"

The boy took yet another step back, "I don't want any trouble. I didn't mean to disturb you, I'll just be going now."

He shook his head, "And go where? To find the next Hellhound and become their dinner? I'm not gonna hurt you kid. Just tell me your name. I'll get you fed and somewhere safe, you have my word."

The boy stopped retreating but still looked wary.

"My… My name is Perseus." He said tentatively.

The man held out his hand, "It's nice to meet you Perseus. I am Heracles. Now let's get you some food and you can tell me how you got a Hellhound on your trail."

**-X-**

Perseus sat on a log in front of a small fire. He was silent and the bowl of stew lying next to him was practically screaming at him to be eaten. But he quelled the desire for food and kept his eyes trained across the fire. Every fiber in his body was on edge, ready to bolt at the first sign of danger. This was nothing new to him either. He had spent the past year living on edge, always watchful and wary of anyone around him.

Since the death of his mother, he'd been on his own, often sticking to the cities where he could usually steal himself enough food to get by. But after the incident with the snake woman, he had been on the move, the past three days he hadn't found even a morsel of food, only water in a river that ran through the forest.

The looming figure across the fire looked up from his meal and frowned.

"You should eat. It looks like it's been a while since your last meal."

Perseus' eyes flickered to the bowl and back to the man, still unwilling to give in to his hunger yet. He was wary, and rightfully so. He had run into men who seemed helpful in the past, but they had really just been interested in helping themselves to a part of him. His speed was the only thing that kept him safe but he was worried he wouldn't be quick enough to outrun this giant of a man. And he knew once he was in his grasp, there would be no escape.

Heracles stood up. Perseus immediately jumped to his feet but the larger man just held up his hands. He slowly walked over to where Perseus' bowl was sitting untouched and grabbed a piece of meat from it, throwing it in his mouth and making a show of swallowing it. He walked back to the other side of the fire and sat down.

"I am not going to hurt you child. Just eat the food. If you wish to leave, you may at any time but you should at least eat something."

Perseus didn't move at first. He kept his eyes on Heracles until he was convinced the food gave him no ill effects. Then in one flurry, he grabbed the bowl and foregoing the spoon, snatched a handful of the meat and stuffed it in his mouth, eating greedily. Within seconds, the bowl was empty and his body felt near a state of euphoria, his painful hunger finally quenched.

Heracles looked at him with an arched eyebrow.

"How long has it been since you last ate?"

Perseus looked across the fire, embarrassment replacing his satisfied expression. He quickly wiped his mouth trying to clean up after his animalistic display.

Heracles chuckled softly at his face, "Relax boy, you need not feel any shame in front of me." He loaded up another bowl from the pot cooking over the fire and held it out to him. "Have some more, perhaps you can take the time to taste it this time around."

He held the bowl out, waiting as Perseus seemed to weigh his options and decide if another serving were worth the perceived risk. Slowly and with trepidation, he crept closer and grabbed it from his hand, returning to his seat on the other side of fire. This time he pulled the spoon from the bowl and fed himself at a still quick but controlled pace.

Heracles just watched him eat. He wondered where he had come from. He knew he was a demigod, a Hellhound would have ignored a mortal. And the fact that it was a Hellhound made him curious as to the boy's parentage if Hades was willing to release a hound from the Fields of Punishment just to kill him.

As Perseus finished his second bowl of stew, he set it down on the log beside him. The nourishment seemed to have calmed his nerves a bit but he remained on edge. Anyone so willing to help a peasant like himself would almost certainly have ulterior motives.

"Where do you come from child?"

Perseus seemed a little surprised by the question. After a moment of silence, he decided to answer.

"I don't come from anywhere. I was born in Thebes but I have moved around for as long as I can remember."

"Thebes, you say? I also hail from Thebes. Who is your father?"

His face darkened a bit in firelight. He looked into the flames silently for a moment.

"I don't know my lord. My mother said my father was a powerful man but people just call me a bastard."

Heracles nodded, already guessing that answer. He wasn't sure which one but he was convinced this was the son of an Olymian.

"And your mother? Where is she?"

His face flashed with sorrow but it was gone just as quickly as it appeared, "Dead. She died as we tried to make our way to Argos."

Heracles nodded somberly, "I am sorry for your loss."

Perseus just brushed it off, "I should be going, it's important that I keep moving." He stood up and looked around as if he expected some kind of ambush.

"The monsters hunt you, do they not?" Heracles asked watching the way the boy looked around, ready for the next threat.

This seemed to catch his attention. He stopped his surveillance of the area and looked at the seated man with interest and uncertainty.

"They haunt me as well." Heracles became very serious. "They don't hunt you because they think you're weak. They hunt you because they know the strength you possess, the power hidden inside you at this very moment."

Perseus no longer looked like he wanted to run. He stared intently at the older man who couldn't have been more than twenty or twenty one.

"I can explain to you why they're after you and I can show you how to make them stop. Travel with me boy, you may leave when you please but I swear to you, on my honor, that I will not hurt you."

Perseus stared at him, the look on his face already made Heracles guess his answer.

"What do you want from me? I know who you are, you are the son of King Amphitryon. Why would you wish for an orphaned bastard to accompany you?

This surprised him a little until he realized the boy probably had some bad experiences with strangers in the past.

Instead of saying anything, Heracles stood from his seat. He turned his back on him and stared out into vast darkness of the forest.

"You have not been in Thebes for a while, have you?"

"No," he replied. "Not since I was a small boy."

Heracles pushed back painful memories of his home.

"I am no prince of Thebes. I am more like you than you would think and like you, I am alone. The roads are long and lonely and a companion would be a welcome change. In exchange for your company, I can teach you how to protect yourself from the monsters that are hunting you this very moment."

A silence descended between them. Only the crackling of the fire could be heard in the small forest clearing.

"For a little while," Perseus said finally. "I will go with you, for now. But I'm not a slave and I don't need charity. I owe you for saving my life so I will accompany you for a while."

Heracles slowly turned around, his long blonde hair was in his face until he brushed it aside and gave a small smile, "Good. In the morning, we begin the road to Delphi."

**A.N: Stop! I already know what you're gonna say. This is just an idea that has been bouncing around in my head for a while. It has a couple chapters written but I don't know if I'll even continue past that. I may just make it a collection of short stories. This is merely the prologue/teaser.**

**But... This is something I need to work on. In a lot of my fics, the characters are flat, they lack depth and don't grow as the story progresses... This one will allow me to develop not only Percy but several characters throughout the story. And Percy will NOT be OP/Gary Stu, whatever you call it. This story will progress slower and if I decide to run with it, I think it has the potential to be my best yet.**

**But I'd love to hear what you think of the idea, I've been thinking about writing this for a long time. Oh, and I need a better title... suggestions?  
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**And the next update for Seven Kingdoms and Lost and Found will be in the next couple days or on the weekend.**


	2. Chapter 2

Ch. 2

Perseus did not sleep that night.

He laid out beside the fire but was certain to keep one eye open the entire night. He had agreed to accompany the older man on his journey for a bit but that in no uncertain terms meant he trusted him.

An adult seeking the company of someone his age… Well he simply knew better than to let his guard down.

As the sun began to rise, Heracles stirred almost as if the sun were shaking him awake, letting him know it was time to begin another day.

He glanced at Perseus, who quickly shut his eyes, before stretching his arms, legs and back, getting out all the aches a night spent on the ground gifted him with. He rubbed some of the sleepiness from his face and began to walk towards the forest deciding to let his young companion sleep a little longer.

Perseus waited until Heracles was completely out of sight before starting to stir himself. He got up and tried to rub the weariness from his eyes. Despite how alert he felt, he was exhausted. The events of the night before and being on the run so much meant he rarely got a good night's sleep and it seemed to be catching up with him.

He glanced around, making sure there weren't any unfriendly eyes on him before he made his way back to the log he had sat the night before. He picked up a stick and poked at the coals of the fire which was down to just embers. Once he had it stirred up a bit, he threw a few sticks on it, deciding a small fire wouldn't be the worst idea with the chilly morning air sending a shiver down his spine.

Within a few minutes, the fire was back to its small but strong size from the previous night. He glanced at the pot still hanging over the side and couldn't help but smile when he saw it was still filled with some of the stew from the night before. His stomach seemed to grumble in approval at the mere sight of food.

He stirred the contents a bit, waiting for it to heat up but before he had a chance to try any, a booming voice spoke behind him.

"A fine idea. I was just thinking about breakfast."

Perseus instinctively stiffened but Heracles just sat down on the other side of the fire, a piece of wood in one hand and a knife in the other. Almost immediately, he began using his knife to shave down the wood.

Perseus kept silent as he stirred and watched over their breakfast, though his curiosity kept one eye on Heracles as he worked. He wasn't sure what he was doing but it was obvious the older male was doing something he knew well based on the speed in which he worked.

Once the stew was back into a gentle simmer, Perseus scooped out two bowls and set one down a few feet from Heracles before sitting back down at the farthest possible point away without making it painstakingly obvious.

Heracles ignored his food for a while as he continued to work. Perseus decided against waiting and immediately began to appease his growing hunger. Once he had finished, he set the bowl down feeling better than he had in a while.

"What are you doing?"

"Huh?" Heracles grunted before finally looking up. "Oh, I'm carving the base for a bow. I have some horn and sinew as well. I believe this will be one of the finest bows I've ever crafted."

Perseus' eyes went to the bow still strapped to his back but decided against asking. Heracles grabbed his bowl and helped himself to a heaping spoonful.

"I promised I would teach you to make the monsters leave you alone. You can't do that with that rusted piece of scrap metal," he gestured to the blade tucked into his beltline. "You'll need a proper weapon and until I get my hands on some more celestial bronze, this will do just fine."

"Celestial bronze?"

Heracles just waved his spoon in his direction dismissively, "In time child. We must begin our journey before the sun gets any higher and the heat becomes intolerable."

Perseus stood up, "Where are we going?"

Heracles kicked some dirt on the fire and started to pack up his things.

"Delphi."

Perseus raised an eyebrow, "Delphi? Why?"

Heracles' face darkened for a moment but he seemed to push whatever thoughts were in his mind away.

"I have business there. I must speak to the Oracle of Delphi. I am in need of guidance I think I can only find there."

Perseus didn't say anything. He knew about the supposed Oracle of Delphi and never really put much stock into the thought of someone who claimed to know the future. _But,_ he also never put much stock into the thought of monsters before meeting the snake woman. His mother had talked about threats but he had always thought it was because they were outlaws which is why they were constantly on the move. Looking back, he could guess what his mother had been running from. No matter where he went, monsters seemed to find him, almost as if they were drawn to him, much to his disappointment, forcing him always be on the move.

"How far?"

Heracles finished stashing the last of his belongings away and looked to the west.

"A half day's walk if we move quickly. We must reach it before sunset. The oracle only speaks her prophecies on the seventh day of every month. So if we don't make it then I'll be spending more time than I want in Delphi."

"Attacked?" Perseus was immediately on edge but Heracles just held up a hand to pacify his young companion.

"As I told you last night, the monsters haunt me as well. There is nothing we can do but fight them and hope the next will think twice before challenging us."

"But why?" He boldly asked. "You promised me answers but thus far you have told me almost nothing."

Heracles reached into his pack as pulled out a small canteen. Without giving him a chance to react, he splashed the contents all over Perseus' clothes.

Perseus immediately jumped back and pulled out his dagger, preparing for a fight he knew he couldn't win.

Heracles just held up his hands defensively.

"I just doused you with water and yet you are completely dry. I had my suspicions but now it is confirmed."

Perseus looked down at his clothes, unsurprised by this fact he had learned long ago but suspicious of how the older man knew about it.

"What? What are you talking about?"

Heracles looked at the sun for a moment before meeting his eyes.

"What I am talking about my friend, is the reason monsters hunt us. I am a son of Zeus." Perseus' eyes went a little wide but he couldn't say anything before Heracles continued. "And you, my young cousin, are a son of Poseidon."

**Line Break**

For the next few hours, Perseus listened in silence as Heracles explained to him about how they were both demigods. While at first being completely sure this was false, the more he spoke and the more Perseus listened, the more he began to question his own assertion. Heracles knew things about him that no one should know. He knew things he had only thought about in safety of his own head. He knew about the vivid dreams, the things his mother would tell him as a child and what the monsters would hiss at him.

Well, the ones that could speak that is.

_Half Blood._

The snake woman had called him that, right before she tried to eat him.

And Heracles knew a secret that Perseus had never told anyone. One that he had never even said aloud, in fear of being overheard and deemed insane by any who heard him utter such nonsense.

"You hear the horses' thoughts," Heracles looked a little amused by his face. He tried to hide a smile as Perseus' mouth just hung open numbly.

He had always thought he was insane. Or that he was imagining the horses' speaking to him because he was so desperate for a friend that his mind was creating fake ones for his own sake, to get rid of the feeling of utter loneliness he felt for most of his life, even with his mother. Like he was different than everyone else and not even his mother truly understood how different he was.

"Your father is Poseidon," Heracles continued as he saw Perseus' confusion. "He is the creator of horses. This is why you can speak to them. If I had to guess, they call you _lord, _don't they?"

Perseus stared over at the large man. He had been skeptical of everything he had said since they met but now he didn't even know what to think.

As they traveled, Perseus listened as Heracles told him all about the gods, demigods and monsters. He mostly just let Heracles speak but as the day wore on and his comfort level grew, he began to ask questions as well. His thirst for knowledge about his father, about himself, was insatiable.

As the sun began to set, Heracles slowed their walk. In the distance, on rolling slopes was a huge city that Perseus couldn't help by gape at.

Huge temples littered the city along with massive buildings descending downward off the hills. From his spot, Perseus eyed the enormous theater, the biggest he'd ever seen in his life. He had trouble comprehending that such a place could have been built by the hands of men.

Heracles nudged him gently, breaking him from his stupor and pointed at one of the larger and more beautifully designed buildings. Smoke poured from the roof and he could vaguely make out the people in front of it.

"Aye," Heracles gestured at it. "We must be moving, I would rather not delay."

Without a word, Heracles took off towards the city. Perseus trailed a few feet behind looking around in wonder at the beautiful architecture. He had been to Athens but this was almost as breathtaking. While smaller, the city seemed to make up for its smaller size in sheer beauty.

"This is the spot where Apollo slayed the mighty Python. This land is now sacred to him and all his followers and the only place one has a chance to hear the words of the gods." Heracles explained as they approached the building he had pointed at.

Heracles maneuvered his way through the crowd and Perseus kept close so as to not get separated from the one person he somewhat knew in the alien city. Upon reaching the entrance to the temple, a pair of guards stood with spears at the ready, preventing anyone from entering the temple unannounced.

"That is the end of the day," one of the guards boomed to the waiting crowd of about a dozen people waiting to see the Oracle.

Most people seemed disappointed by resigned to wait. Heracles on the other hand stepped up to the guards which caused both to visibly tense.

"The temple is closed," the same guard continued. "You can seek your audience with the oracle on another day."

"I have urgent matters and I must speak to the Oracle today." Heracles argued looking like he had no plans on waiting.

The guards both crossed their spears, blocking entry into the temple. But before either could reply, a raspy voice echoed from somewhere inside the temple.

"Let him pass," the voice was sounded dry and very unusual, not like the voice of a woman but more like a few elderly women speaking at once, all of whom had been starved from water for far too long.

Both guards seemed stunned at the words, like it was first time they had heard that voice speak.

Heracles allowed himself a brief smirk at their shock but quickly seemed to remember why he was there.

"Come," he gestured to Perseus who hesitated, unsure if he even wanted to find the owner of the voice, much less follow Heracles into an unknown temple in a foreign city.

Despite his internal conflict, Perseus followed, keeping a good distance back from the hulking form of Heracles as they made their way into the temple.

Burning braziers lined the hallway leading deeper into the sanctuary dedicated to the sun god. Marble statues of figures Perseus couldn't place were placed sporadically throughout the entrance which was far longer than he would have guessed.

_How the creepy voice made it to the ears of the guards was a thought he decided not to explore._

Everything about this place had his mind screaming at him to run for it while he could but Perseus quelled those desires. Something else seemed to be drawing him in. Whether it was just a morbid curiosity about the oracle or some other, higher power, calling to him, he felt compelled to continue on.

After walking far enough to where he was starting to wonder if the hallway would ever end, Perseus stopped a few feet behind Heracles who had halted as soon as they temple opened up into a rather small but extravagantly designed room.

The entire room seemed to be made from gold. The walls, the floor and even the ceiling were gilded. A ten foot tall effigy of a young man with his bow drawn loomed over the room, casting a shadow over the center of the room where just about the only non-gold thing was seated on, _you guessed it_, a gold tripod.

A younger looking woman with wild blonde hair stared up through the window in the ceiling and out into the starry night.

Before Perseus had time to take in anything else about the room, he froze when he saw Heracles' huge form drop to his knees at the feet of the woman who hadn't seemed to even notice them yet.

Heracles was silent as he groveled at the feet of the petite looking woman. Had they been in different circumstances, he might have seen humor in the image of the monstrous sized man bowed down to such an unimposing looking woman.

But given where they were and the eerie shiver crawling through his skin, humor was about the last thing on the young demigod's mind.

"Please," Heracles pleaded in a surprisingly soft and vulnerable voice. Perseus took a wary step back when he saw Heracles' body start to tremble in what he could only guess were silent sobs. "What can I do?"

The woman slowly lowered her gaze from the sky and Perseus backed himself up to the far wall when he laid eyes on the glowing green eyes of the Oracle of Delphi. Up to that point, he had had his doubts about the whole idea of a mortal speaking the words of a god here on Earth. But looking at the unnatural light of her eyes and the green smoke that seemed to be curling around her body, he realize just how foolish his assumption had been.

"_Atonement,_" she wailed in an unnatural sounding voice. It was deep and carried so much power that Perseus prayed for an escape. Just being in the presence of this ancient and powerful being caused every hair on his body to stand up on end. "_A penance for the lives taken, the futures stolen."_ She continued and Heracles just kept his head bowed, apparently not surprised by her words. _"Twelve years and twelve tasks. To Mycenaean you must travel, the King Eurystheus shall set your path. Only then will you find freedom from your grief, son of Zeus."_

The glow in the Oracles eyes dimmed a little and her head leaned back as she resumed her star gazing as if this were a normal everyday occurrence. _Which it apparently was,_ Perseus realized from his spot still pinned to the wall in fear.

As Heracles slowly rose to his feet, the Oracle's head snapped back down, freezing Heracles in his spot. But instead of him, the glowing green eyes of the oracle were boring into the young son of Poseidon trying his best to slip back through the gilded walls of the temple.

_"Approach, seeker, and ask." _

Heracles looked at his young companion with bewilderment, confused why the oracle was speaking to him when they were there for his question. But as he looked, he could see the complete terror on the young kid's face. He nodded reassuringly, prompting Percy to do as the divine being was asking of him.

Perseus peeled himself from the wall and stepped forward. His body trembled with every step he took but it was as if his body were working apart from his brain. The feeling, the power he felt drawing him in earlier had increased tenfold. It was as if those glowing green eyes were reeling him in and he was powerless to stop in the inevitable.

He soon found himself just mere feet away from her. The power rolling off her body was almost overpowering and dropped him to his knees. He knelt silently for a moment until he realized the oracle was waiting. He had no idea what she wanted from him so he blurted out the question he had wondered ever since he lost his mother.

"W…What should I do?"

The green smoked snaked around the oracle's body, shrouding her entire body in a green light as she looked down on the child before her.

_"A half blood of the eldest gods," _she suddenly stopped speaking and when Perseus looked up, he saw her smiling mischievously, pressing a finger to her lips, though he wasn't sure if that was meant for him or herself. "_In good time young demigod. A crossroad lies at your feet. Greatness is at one end and irrelevance the other. Choose carefully young demigod, there will be no returning from the path you take today."_

Perseus stared up at the woman but as the light dimmed from her eyes, she collapsed back onto her tripod, her head lulling back towards the stars as the green smoke dissipated from around her body. He wasn't sure how long he sat there, waiting for her to say something else, when he felt Heracles pull him to his feet back the back of his tunic.

"Come little cousin. Our audience is over."

He led Perseus out of the room and out of the temple which seemed much smaller than when they entered. Neither spoke until they felt the cool early night air hit their skin. Heracles ushered him away from the temple and onto the road before he stopped, running a hair through his long blonde hair.

The son of Zeus seemed exhausted but also more relaxed than he'd seen in the past two days.

"What was that?" Perseus asked, glancing back at the temple now several yards behind them.

"It was the answer to your question. The oracle's words are often unclear but they are always right. They come from the mouth of Phoebus Apollo himself." Heracles answered with certainty.

Perseus looked at Heracles and then back to the temple and then back to Heracles again. His face showed his confusion as her words ran through his mind.

"I believe they are for this moment," Heracles looked very serious. "You are at a crossroad. You have stayed true to your word and accompanied me to Delphi. Now you must choose whether you continue on with me or find your own path. The decision is yours and yours alone to make young friend."

Perseus stared up at Heracles for a moment. He still didn't trust him but he wasn't as nervous as he had been before seeing him break down inside the temple. He thought about what the oracle had said.

_What crime does Heracles have to pay for?_

_Twelve years of service to a king? Twelve tasks to complete?_

Then he thought about what the oracle had said to him.

_This was his crossroad?_

_Greatness or irrelevance? _ He really wasn't sure what that was about? He didn't want to be great. He wanted to survive. He wanted to live without being hunted his every waking moment by some creature trying to turn him into a demigod snack.

He looked at Heracles. The guy was built for greatness. He had seen it firsthand when he killed that Hellhound with his bare hands. Perseus wasn't sure he wanted glory but he was absolutely sure he didn't want to live the way he had been living since his mother died. It was only a matter of time before his luck ran out. And if there was anything he was sure about, it was that he was safest next to this giant of a man.

He took a deep breath and looked into Heracles eyes.

"I'm coming with you."


End file.
